ARCHIVED - Cartagena Town Hall cancels September water bills for gota fría flooding victims

Indignant residents of Los Nietos and Los Urrutias receive storm damage relief after being obliged to clean up their properties

The Town Hall of Cartagena has stepped in to provide a little relief for residents of Los Nietos and other areas which were severely affected by flooding during the ferocious gota fría storm of mid-September, after many were furious when they received far higher water bills than usual due to the need to clean up flood water and mud from their properties.

When water bills for September started arriving from Hidrogea there was widespread indignation at debts which in many cases were over double what they might be expected to be in normal circumstances at this time of year. Some residents, in anticipation of this, had suggested that at least the base price per litre of water ought to be maintained rather than higher rates being imposed on higher consumption, as they were obliged to spend hours or even days cleaning their homes and properties, and in some cases contributing to the clean-up of public property such as roads and pavements.

But Hidrogea failed to respond to these requests, explaining that approval was required from the Town Hall of Cartagena.

Fortunately, though, the Town Hall has proved equal to the situation, and on Friday Mayoress Ana Belén Castejón announced after a meeting with representatives of residents of Los Urrutias, Punta Brava, Estrella de Mar and Los Nietos that anyone who can show their water bill for September and who can demonstrate that their home or property suffered flood damage will be pardoned the bill. The same will be applicable even if it possible to show only that this September’s water bill was substantially higher than that of September 2018 in areas which suffered flooding.

It will be possible to download application forms from the Town Hall website - details are not yet available - and all requests will be handled by the Social Services department of the Town Hall.

At the same time, Sra Castejón also confirmed that public transport will be provided free of charge during the afternoon of Wednesday 30^th October in order to allow people to take part easily in the SOS Mar Menor demonstration demanding solutions to the risk of flooding and the deterioration of the marine environment in the lagoon.

Images: flooding in Los Nietos after the gota fría hit Murcia in mid-September

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